Life altering reality, hidden in plain sight.
Ralph has a problem. The Grand Council of Atlantis, the council who rules the twelve hominid tribes, has chosen his apprentice for him. This unusual move has one obstacle. She doesn’t know what it means to be Atlantean.

Cerita Guzman is the oldest child in a struggling, single parent home. She doesn’t have time for world shattering reality to interfere with life. She has work, school, siblings, her mom, the house and now, of all things, Atlantis wants her time too. How is that even possible?

James has lived among the homo-sapiens, on the surface, for most of his life. He’s training though, to serve his people in Atlantis. His heart is torn when his master knight requests him to bring in the young woman selected by the Grand Council to train with him. She’s in a lot of his classes. She’s beautiful. She’s human.

When Atlantis calls, he listens.

As Cerita resists the call to serve Atlantis, James must find a way to help her accept the truth about the world around her, about herself. He does. He forces her to activate her internal nanites. She’s forced to accept whole new hominid species exist. If that’s not enough, she’s also forced to accept she’s one of them, when her nanites come to life, and she opens a wormhole into space.

Join Cerita, James, and Ralph on the first adventure into the world of Atlantis. Knight’s of the Immortals is a Young Adult Scifi – Adventure that’s loved by readers of all ages. Knight’s Apprentice is free. Download it so you can start reading it today.

About the Author:

A unique author with a passion for her family, Catrina Taylor is in love with the written word. As an avid reader she finds her mind enjoys the worlds created uniquely in Fantasy, Science Fiction and various crossover genre. As an author, she most often plays in a universe of her own creation.

Introducing us to the imaginary worlds of Xarrok and Atlantis, she has hooked readers, waiting to see where her imagination takes us next.

When she is not playing in the universe of her mind, she is playing with her children who she encourages to follow her passion for words, and excel in every area they show interest. In fact, this talented word smith finds that life through their eyes is a constant lesson in self discovery, happiness, and curiosity.

Inspired by her everyday world of family, infused with an unquenched curiosity, and gifted with the ability to take us to places we could never have imagined, Catrina Taylor is an author who promises to keep you fully immersed in a world of wonder and intrigue, waiting for more.

Top Ten Tribes of Atlantis – Knights of the Immortals

There are actually twelve tribes in Atlantis, for now, but only ten are considered imperial tribes. These imperial tribes are all in line to hold the seat of emperor or have already done so in an agreed upon rotation several millennia ago. Knights can come from any of the imperial tribes and guides can come from any of the twelve tribes. Each of the imperial tribes are the ones homo-sapiens view as immortal. The shortest lived of these tribes is 200 hundred years and the longest is 400.All of this in mind, it’s time to talk about the 10 Empiric Tribes of Atlantis.

1 We’ll start with the one tribe that contributes a fascination for all things homo-sapien. The goblins enjoy more than a passing fascination with the homo-sapien world. They know all things popular, when it’s popular and horde human treasures when possible. Their contribution to the Atlantean society is that they know when the surface world is safe for new discoveries and knowledge. Did you think the knowledge of the universe was unraveled by humans? Okay, it was, but they were given a nudge here and there by the Atlantean world they know nothing about. We can thank the goblins for watching the surface dwellers and informing different scientists able to influence the knowledge base. The most impressive aspect about all of this is that these are the men and women who pass the least among the homo-sapien world. They stand no more than four feet tall, with bald, or balding heads and pale, almost grey skin. Somehow that doesn’t stop them from many successful trips to the surface. Among their favorite source of information are the conventions that have popped up in the last century.

2 The tribe we’ll discuss next is the gargoyles. Gargoyles have long been a myth of stone creatures during the day and so much more overnight. Some myths claim these creatures are evil, while others claim they are protectors. The reality in Knights of the Immortals, is that Gargoyles are simply hominids with a problem. Everyone of their species has a narcoleptic reaction to the sunlight. Due to the density of their physical structure, they don’t fall over as some might believe. Instead, these people find themselves stuck in whatever position they were in when that time of day arrives. With a paler complexion during the day, it’s easy to see where the idea of stone creatures came from.

3 Wer-cats are a hominid species known for exceptional balance, speed, keen senses and a hyper sex drive that only activates once every two years. That’s far more often than most of the other imperial tribes. This is one of the few species that actually find the physical contact of intimacy emotionally appealing. But their greatest asset is the natural fur on their bodies. It protects them from many of the elemental changes other planets offer. When they have to blend with the sapien world above, and use their nanites to withdraw their natural state, they are often uncomfortable and less coordinated without it.

4 Wer-wolves have a strong pack mentality. They know they are stronger together and found this was their best protection before Atlantis. This tradition hasn’t left them even several millennia later. At times, the pack mentality is so strong that a small group of families will take themselves to the surface to raise their families as traditionally as possible, apart from the sapien world. These smaller packs still answer to the imperial traditions of the continent below the ocean waters, but their pack is everything.

5 Vampyre are well known as being blood suckers, killers, arostractic seducers of human kind. That’s not far from the reality of the vampyric history. After the second time the continent sank, around 7490 BCE on our calendars, some vampyre established a network of covens for their own purposes. Knowing they had an inability to naturally generate enough red blood cells to sustain themselves, those members of the coven committed to superior blood and superior positions. During the dark ages in europe, it took very little for a vampyre to appear and take rulership of an entire kingdom within their lifetime. This led to homo-sapien blood as a superior option for substituting their own red blood cells. Drinking it wasn’t the ideal choice, but for the longest time their eye teeth were the only way to get the blood to blend with their own. That all changed though, after many millennia of research. There is now a temporary process of specified nanite injections that allow the vampyres of Atlantis to be free of the need for outside blood. There have been other treatments over the centuries, but none as perfect as this one. But that’s a spoiler for book five of this first season.

6 Elves are a strictly traditional species. Due to their traditional nature there came a division among them. These aristocratic, humble peoples found both a draw to nature among them, and a draw to their most humble origins. They live by strict codes and when the draw to all nature called a portion together the land elves formed. They are farmers, herders, ranchers and with minimal adjustments they can often pass among the sapiens above, sharing their innate knowledge of the life cycle of the earth, livestock, and crops. Their lives are among the most fulfilled of the elvin lives. Each one recognizes their place in the course of things, and each one accepts the closely guarded traditions as necessary to preserve their people.

The most traditional of the elves found a way to keep themselves separate from the homo-sapien peoples and raised an island into the sky. It hovers above the clouds and out of the natural line of sight even for those in planes. These sky elves avoid contact with the sapien world unless deemed absolutely needed. During the time of the great cataclysm another group of elves emerged. The Dark Elves, originally they were a small group of families stranded in caves and upon the surface with vampyre families, they intermingled and developed into a subspecies of them both. Those who took the vampyric aversion to sunlight, among other things, were considered vampyre. Those who did not take the vamperyic deformities were considered elves. In time the dark elves, after living among their people again, came to find a dark forest among the elvin section of the continent below the ocean, there they developed the third separation. While a section of the elves live below the ocean, a section lives among the sapiens on the surface, and a third lives in the skies above, it is the elven peoples that keep traditions, individual identities and tribal connections alive. This tribe has taken it upon themselves to ensure all of the tribes know themselves and adhere to the things that keep their identity.

7 Once upon a time there was this beautiful woman who swam in the ocean. She beckoned to desperate sailors until they followed to their dooms. She was called a mermaid. When colonists and families fared the sea, women found themselves vulnerable to a male version of these horrible creatures. But the men and women who fueled this myth are nothing like that. Yes, they can breathe underwater. Yes they do move between land and sea with ease. No, they do not have fins or flippers. Women do not wear seashells and men do not go topless, all the time. Instead, they look a lot like homo-sapien or homo-supreme. They have the ability to breathe underwater and adapt to any oceanic pressure, if they move slowly enough. Because of their unique gift for being able to pull oxygen from water, even salt water, children begin swimming as soon as they are born.

8 Homo-supreme was originally believed to be an evolutionary step in the homo-sapien line. Time and research has since proven that supreme has several traits that make them distinct from sapien. They do not have a monthly reproduction cycle, for starters. Puberty is generally achieved much later in their teen, nearly early twenties, and they are physically equipped to adapt to new environments faster. While there are plenty of limitations, the supreme lungs can process oxygen from nearly any atmosphere, if given time enough to do so. Additionally, their heart pumps more blood, faster than a sapien heart and is a noticeable size larger than their nearest counterpart. These differences, combined with much longer life, nearly 250 years, leaves the supreme similar to the sapien on the surface, but far better equipped for the exploration and life of Atlantis.

9 Trolls are shorter, unsightly creatures who live in hobbles under the bridge and only surface to eat people. While there’s some truth in the myth, there was a time in this universe where trolls were forced to live beneath bridges to protect their families, they are not man eating monsters. While they are shorter in stature, and often wear more hair than a sapien or a supreme, they are far from outright unsightly creatures. Instead they are smyths, handymen, hard workers, and knowledgeable in all things they can do with their hands. Traditionally, they built the weapons, and eventually they became the builders of the gates that connect the wormholes. It was the mind of the elves that solved the programing to initiate it, and the contributions of the gargoyles made the first travel by wormhole possible. When Albert Einstein had lived long enough among the sapien world, it was a troll that created his body double for burial. They have done that for many who found their work gave them some level of notoriety. The merman was so happy to get home, he married the first woman he met, and she was a troll. Much shorter than he, and a touch more plump than his surface wives, the two continue to help Atlantis despite their age.

10 Dwarves and trolls can often get mixed up, but they are far from the same. Dwarves are believed to be close ancestors of the ancient hobbits. Their small stature, often smaller than trolls, and typically dark complexion lend themselves to the theory. Being unable to search the surface for the connection, many Dwarven Archaeologists have been dismayed by the theoretical nature of this aspect in their history. Dwarves are among the most relaxed of the tribes. Over time they have adapted to new opportunities, surroundings, and choices. Sometimes some will live on the surface, while their tribe always resides in Atlantis. The only thing truly unique about these people is that, as a whole, they do not leave earth. In history, there are a few that have and do, but they do so in secret. The elders don’t trust wormhole travel.

Today, I am so excited to introduce you to Jaime from Two Chicks on Books! I hope that most of you already know her! If not, she’s super amazing and you should go check out her blog! Today, Jaime is discussing why she wants New Adult books to branch out to different genres, as well as offering up a must-read list of new adult books!

I totally think this is such an important topic. Why? I’m getting sick of the same old NA contemporary stories. Yes, I love them some of them. Others, though, blend so much into other NA stories that it often feels like I’m reading the same old thing all over again. I can never find any NA books outside of the contemporary genre, with the exception of Randi Cooley Wilson’s amazing NA paranormal series. I want to see that change. Trust me when I say that I am VERY excited to read some of Jaime’s recommendations!

Hi everyone! My name is Jaime and I usually blog over at Two Chicks on Books but my buddy Nichole asked for people to help her out with a post about New Adult books so here I am!

Want to hear a couple confessions? Of course you do! Confession #1 I hate contemporary books (Adult, NA, & YA) I only read Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-fi, Dystopian, etc. so that leads in to confession #2 I have not read much New Adult. But here’s the thing, I want to read more New Adult! I love my YA books but sometimes I like a little steam and sex in my books. The problem is that most NA Books are contemporary and like I said I don’t like/read contemporary so I don’t read them much. Also a bunch of my friends have told me that they tend to blur together after a while because there’s only so much you can do with contemporary stories.

So I have made a list of some New Adult in other genres like Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-fi, Dystopian, etc. that I have read or want to read. There’s not many though which is sad. We need more non contemporary New Adult books! Authors please write some because I will read the shit out of them!

Ok so here’s the list of New Adult I have read! All Books are linked to their Goodreads pages.

The Study and Glass by Maria V. Snyder. Maria is one of my all-time favorite authors and these two series are my all-time favorite Fantasy books ever. This really is NA but the publisher likes to call it a YA/Adult crossover. But the character isn’t in her teens so really this is New Adult. Genre Fantasy.

A Court of Thorns And Roses & A Court of Mist And Fury by Sarah J. Maas. I know the publisher markets these as YA but I call bullshit! These are definitely NA with heavy sex scenes. The publisher only calls it YA so they don’t lose her fan base (which they wouldn’t). Genre Fantasy.

The Architect of Song (Haunted Hearts Legacy #1) by A.G. Howard. I love A.G. Howard’s Splintered series and that was pretty steamy for YA so when I heard she was writing a New Adult I knew I had to read it! This historical fantasy was brilliant, beautifully written, and very steamy! I’ll just leave you with two words… Soul sex 😉

The Goddess Wars Series by Trisha Wolfe. I beta read this series for Trisha and it is absolutely fantastic! Also book 1 Of Silver And Beasts is free on Amazon so grab your copy now! Genre Fantasy.

Astarte’s Wrath by Trisha Wolfe. Also beta read this and loved! It is Historical Fantasy!

The Causal Enchantment series by K.A. Tucker. This was K.A.’s first series before she went all contemporary on me lol. I actually beta read the last 3 books of the series for her after falling in love with book 1. I love this mash up of paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy, alternate dimensions, and swoony romance! Also book 1 of this series is free on Amazon so give it a go!

The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia #1) by Sarah Beth Durst. They’re calling this High Fantasy a YA/Adult Crossover so let’s just call it what it really is. New Adult High Fantasy.

Ok so that’s my list I hope you check these out! Also if there’s a NA book that’s not a contemporary that you think I should read tell me about it in the comments section and I’ll check it out!

Thanks so much for stopping by, Jaime! I hope the rest of you enjoyed this post, as well! I know I did! I’m really excited to dive into these books & I already started one of them!!!! Have you read any of these books? Do you have any other NA suggestions that are not of the contemporary genre? Let us know in the comments section below!

More about Jaime:

My name is Jaime and I have been blogging here at Two Chicks on Books for over 5 years! When this blog started I had a partner but after almost 2 years I decided to break from that partner and run the blog on my own! I also used to be a reviewer for the San Francisco/Sacramento Book Review and did that for about three years. I am the Publicity and Marketing Director with the amazing Month 9 Books and I truly love my job!

Reading and music are my two passions and you will often see them combined somehow on this site. I am also a huge sports fan and if you follow me on twitter @arnoldjaime13 you’ll see my crazy tweets when the Oakland A’s and Oakland Raiders are playing, or there is a NASCAR race on.

Today, I am very excited to kick off our brand new New Adult Blog Event with Belle Manuel. Belle is going to discuss the importance of the New Adult genre (especially for those of us who are hitting that peak where we don’t really relate all that much to YA.) I absolutely love her post today. I think that it’s extremely powerful and important and something that really needs to be talked about so that people understand that the NA genre is important and not scary! NA is one of my FAVORITE genres out there. Give it a shot! I hope you like today’s guest post! As always, let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

About Belle

Born in Louisiana, Belle Manuel spent her early years learning to be a good Cajun girl before moving to Texas. She visits Louisiana often, enjoying the quiet break from the active Texas life. When not writing, Belle enjoys crochet and crossword puzzles. Belle first began writing in middle school, where her first writing job was getting paid by other students to write stories for them. She enjoyed turning their random requests into interesting stories, and the money she made helped fund her reading habit. Fire began with an idea, but quickly took on a life of it’s own and changed as Belle wrote it. With all the adjustments and improvements, it eventually evolved into The Elemental Series.

We all love YA fiction – and why shouldn’t we? The thought of young love overcoming adversity, or a brave young character realizing they’re stronger that they ever thought possible? It’s all so wonderful to think on. But there always seems to be an issue: the stagnation of the character ages. Namely, every character within the YA realm is from 14-18, and sometimes even younger. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Enter NA fiction.

New Adult fiction is a semi-new genre that fills that hole left behind the YA world and before the AC world. The ages usually range from 18-26, more easily filling that gap for those of us who still love YA, but would like a little less ‘did I make cheer squad’ drama.

Let’s take a step back. I’m a 23 year old writer who loves Young Adult fiction, but I’m definitely growing weary of the same age group falling into the same pitfalls. It’s hard for me now to get back into the teenage mindset, since I’m out in the real world. However, if I want a character nearer to my age, I’m forced to enter into either romance territory or over complex – and yet somehow mundane – stories written by authors who have 200 books under their belts. I want the YA theme with mature overtones.

This is why NA gives readers, like myself, the things we want: fantasy and wonder, with the same young love maybe – just not high school young. NA brings old readers and new readers together, and even gives new authors – like myself – an entirely untapped audience that is quite literally chomping at the bit for a genre geared for them.

People shouldn’t doubt or hate the new, growing sub-genre of literature; it wasn’t so long ago that YA wasn’t a true genre, and now it is one of the biggest markets available. I like to think of NA as a subset of an already great genre.

We as readers need to get behind New Adult. We rallied behind Young Adult, now let’s mature with the genre and embrace the new worlds to come. Please don’t mistake my rhetoric as an insult to YA fiction – trust me my bookshelf is covered! I’m simply endorsing a new genre that deserves just as much attention. With the new genre, new authors who feel they have no market – like myself – now feel as though the doors have been flung open, ready to receive our stories of people who are still young adults, they just pay taxes now.

In my debut novel, my main characters are 18, right at the precipice of Young Adult to New Adult. They’ll be getting older within the next three novels in the series, and the stories I have saved on my hard drive are all geared for this new genre that is emerging. It’s a little more adult (less girl fights, but still a lot of turmoil) and still young (hot guys still get engines revving, just maybe in a more thought out way) while captivating readers at the same time.

It’s hard to say ‘I’m under-represented in books’ when I’m a 16 year old girl who reads about 16 year old girls. But when you get to college, and there’s still only 16 year old girls out there, you kind of feel left out. That’s how I began to feel as I perused the hundreds of books at the numerous bookstores I visit. The story would sound great, then bam: 14 year old protagonist. I don’t really relate anymore, and I know that I cannot be the only one feeling this way because the NA genre is on the rise. I think this genre will get people who stopped reading to start up again, and keep their attention until they’re fully ready to move on to adult contemporary.

But, enough about me ranting on why I love this new genre. Go read a NA novel yourself – even though they’re still classified as YA, just search for older pro- and antagonists – and you’ll see why so many people are jumping on the train. New Adult is simply Young Adult with better fashion sense, and a killer work ethic.

Today, I am very excite to introduce you to Charlotte from Charlotte & the World! Charlotte’s blog is relatively new to me. Trust me, though, when I tell you I love it! You all can go check out her blog here: http://charlotteandtheworld.blogspot.co.uk/ Today, Charlotte is going to discuss some of her fave YA books. Take a look at what she had to say below:

Favourite YA Authors/Books

Charlotte Jones

Hiya everyone! I’m so excited to be contributing to the new series that ‘YA Reads’ have launched – it’s such a great site. I’m going to jump right in and chat all about my favourite YA book series and authors in general.

The most stand-out, obvious YA book series for me is J. K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ series. While this isn’t strictly YA, I feel that the books appeal to anyone with a bit of imagination, regardless of age. The novels themselves are amazing, but I think the real pull for fans of the series is the magical, mystical world that Rowling has created, casting a spell over us all and leaving us enchanted for decades. You would be hard pushed to find a book fanatic anywhere in the world that hasn’t read the series, which shows how influential and significant the novels are. The stories within the pages of the books are truly magical, ranging from the bonds of true friendship and family, to times of war and hardship. If you haven’t read the series yet, you must; they really are incredible, and trust me, you’ll understand the tumblr jokes better afterwards!

The next book I want to talk about is Nicola Yoon’s ‘Everything, Everything’. This novel is one of the cutest, yet mind-blowing stories out there as it’s such a unique story. The main character, Madeleine Whittier is allergic to the world and has to live in her protective bubble in order to survive. The way Madeleine’s life was described was super intriguing because it didn’t provoke automatic sympathy. Instead, I was filled with questions that I desperately wanted to know the answers to; does she go to school? What are her plans for the future? What would happen to her if she went outside? SO MANY QUESTIONS. Then, when the attractive, boy-next-door (literally!), Olly, comes along, the whole dynamic of the story changes and draws the reader in even more! I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it – it’s such an emotional story with plenty of great characters that will steal a piece of your heart forever!

Finally, the last book I want to mention is Jandy Nelson’s ‘The Sky is Everywhere’. This was super popular when it first came out so I’m sure a few of you will have read it but as a quick summary for those of you that haven’t: Lennie Walker, the main character, is mourning the loss of her energetic, confident, outspoken sister – everything that Lennie is not. Lennie is finding the death of Baily hard enough, especially with the added pressure of juggling two boys, Joe (new boy in school) and Toby (Bailey’s old boyfriend). Throw in a crazy Gram, mad Uncle and a missing mum, and it’s clear to see that Lennie’s life is incredibly hectic. The reason I loved this book was because it didn’t making death out to be something it’s not. It wasn’t presented as beautiful and delicate, instead it was focussed on how abandoned and alone people feel, and also addresses the fact that everyone deals with grief differently. However, the book wasn’t completely centred on death and grief; it had its fair share of hilarious and crazy stories as well as the hair-brain schemes that Lennie’s family always managed to drag her into. Overall, I thought this was an amazing book and I desperately want to read more from Jandy Nelson!

Hiya! I’m Charlotte from ‘Charlotte + the World’, a blog all about books, music, celebrities and more! I’ve been a keen reader all my life as well as a regular concert goer – living near London definitely has its perks! I’m a full time student at the moment, so blogging is only a hobby, but I hope to spend more time on it in the future!

Thanks so much for stopping by, Charlotte! We loved having you on the site today! We simply must read some of the books you listed above (of course, we’ve already read Harry Potter!!!) I hope our readers today will take a look at some of the above mentioned books, as well!

Did you enjoy Charlotte’s post today? Have you read any of the books she listed above? Let us know in the comments section below!

I am so excited to be a part of the Poor Little Guy blog tour today! I’m pretty big into picture books since I do Story Time for preschool children as well as with my education background. I love finding new picture book to introduce to my students! Poor Little Guy just looks SO CUTE! Don’t you think!? Today, Elanna Allen has stopped by for a very special guest post! Take a look below! As always, be sure to leave a comment in the comments section below letting us know what you think!

With the cheeky twist of Jon Klassen’s This Is Not My Hat and the graphic appeal of Mo Willems, Poor Little Guy will leave kids giggling…and begging for rereads!

What do you do when you’re so tiny that the bigger ocean creatures think you might even taste adorable?

An itsy-bitsy, glasses-wearing fish is minding his own business when a playful (and hungry) octopus snatches him right up. Luckily, this poor little guy is not quite as innocent as he seems…and he has a BIG surprise up his sleeve!

Told with wit, a wink, and a delightfully dark sense of humor, Poor Little Guy celebrates the very smallest…and all of their giant victories. Hand this cute but mighty book to fans of Bob Shea and Dan Krall.

Guest post: What were your top 3-5 favorite books as a child? Did they help inspire you at all?

The origins of POOR LITTLE GUY stem more from books that have influenced me in my adult life. I love the pacing of the book GOODNIGHT GORILLA. I love the repetition that leads to a surprise and that everyone, from the smallest child to the oldest adult, finds that book funny. I also love the simple humor of the book THANK YOU OCTOPUS by Darren Farrell and the gestural simplicity of the illustrations in Suzy Lee’s book WAVE. One of my favorite books is HOW LITTLE LORI VISITED TIMES SQUARE by Amos Vogel, illustrated by Maurice Sendak. It sets up a rhythm of a little boy’s attempts to get to Times Square. Then, in Lori’s crisis moment of desperation, the book introduces a turtle, and the story takes a left hand turn. The turtle speaks so slowly that it can only get one word out per spread. You have to flip so fast to read a sentence that you nearly have a flip book. I love the clever pacing and surprise direction this book takes. As I was re-reading it today, I noticed a bus in a drawing of traffic. This bus had an ad on the side about pigeons. Pigeons and buses, hm? I guess I’m not the only one influenced by this little treasure!

When I was little, though, I gravitated to busy books. I loved Richard Scarry, and Hilary Knight (especially WHERE’S WALLACE). I loved finding the rich character life in each drawings. I love finding the places where the written story and the pictures diverge – and the pictures tell more than the words. I also loved stories that didn’t give the reader everything. I loved when there was a gap that the reader had to fill in. Like, why did Max from IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN (Maurice Sendak) cockadoodle-doo naked on top of a bottle of milk? Who knows! Makes no real sense, but it puts you in the same dream-like state as the author. It is like a printout of the uninhibited subconscious.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elanna Allen graduated from Brown University and studied animation and illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. She has designed characters and directed animation for Disney Junior, Nick Jr, and PBS. She lives in New York City with her husband and two boys, and is currently learning to play the ukulele.

Review:

I read Poor Little Guy at story time, recently, and the kids LOVED it! We’ve recently discovered that we love wordless picture books because we can add our own words and make up our own story as we look at the pictures. The bold visuals in Poor Little Guy further enhanced the kids’ joy as they gasped and ooh’d and aah’d over the story that they created. This one was a big hit! I highly recommend it!

The explosive conclusion to Stacey O’Neale’s award-winning Mortal Enchantment series reveals the secrets of the fantasy world!

Valac has stolen two of the sacred objects. In a bid to rule all four courts, he has threatened to use Excalibur to cut the mist that protects Avalon–ultimately ending the lives of thousands of elementals. As the Akasha, Kalin has the power to stop him. And she refuses to lose anyone else she loves.

Will she have to sacrifice herself to save them?

Desperate to save Kalin’s life, Rowan searches for the long-lost creator of the mist. But what he finds is the very last thing he expected. Everything he thought he knew about his past is turned upside down, and he questions whether he’s meant to be the savior or the elemental that destroys them all.

Told from Kalin, Rowan, and Marcus’s perspective, the final installment to the series follows their journey of courage, duty, sacrifice, and love.

Award-winning author, Stacey O’Neale, lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she’s not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, blogging, watching fantasy television shows, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter.

Her career in publishing started as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. Stacey writes young adult fantasy and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

Stacey loves hearing from readers. Follow her on Twitter @StaceyONeale, look for her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Goodreads. You can also visit her blog at staceyoneale.com/.

Top Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Stacey O’Neale

Top Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Stacey O’Neale

1.I wrote my first novel when I was twenty-seven years old. That’s considered very late. Most authors I know started writing in their teens. At that time in my life, I never considered writing anything longer than a short story. I didn’t think I could.

2.I’m an artist. I received my first art scholarship when I was in third grade. I love drawing, painting, ceramics, and creating metal sculptures. But I was never interested in turning my passion into a job. It’s just a part of me I choose to keep to myself.

3.I’m a life-long comic book collector. I like to collect old school comics from the 1950’s-1980’s. I regularly shop at local comic book stores and attend the smaller Comic Conventions. My favorites are the X-Men, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, and Wonder Woman.

4.Since I was a small child, I’ve been obsessed with Alice in Wonderland. I have a nice size collection of memorabilia from the movies and books. I also love to read retellings of the original story. My favorite character is the Cheshire Cat.

5.I get most of my story ideas from fairytales, history, and mythology. I like to take familiar characters or stories from history and put my own spin on them. Also, I’m obsessed with the History Channel. I could spend hours and hours watching their programs.

6.I have to write in complete silence. Music and people distract me, so I always write at home while everyone else is at school or work. I also have to write during the day. I have tried to write at night, but I end up tossing most of it.

7.I recently got addicted to watching the cheesy made-for-tv-movie romances on the Hallmark channel. My friend finally convinced me to watch one about a year ago, and I’ve probably seen at least twenty of them since.

8.I’m obsessed with spearmint. I drink a glass of spearmint tea every day. When I get snowballs, that’s my go-to flavor. I also like to diffuse spearmint oil around the house. The scent is so crisp and clean. It wakes me up in the morning.

9.I’m passionate about environmental issues. My family likes to tease me because I get really mad if someone tries to throw away a recyclable. My brother calls me, Captain Planet. I’ve pulled things out of other people’s trashcans before. I’m also into composting and I live a very chemical free lifestyle.

10.I’m a book hoarder. I’ll buy books as often as I can even though I own over a hundred that I know I haven’t read. I’d love to buy a big house and turn an entire room into a library. Wall-to-wall books and one comfy chair for me to sit in. That’s my dream.

Today, I am super excited to introduce you all to Dana Elmendorf and her book South of Sunshine. Dana has created an amazing post (with pictures) about what you will need on hand to survive South of Sunshine. Take a look below and be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Top 10 Items You’ll Need on Hand to Survive South of Sunshine.

Top 10 Items You’ll Need on Hand to Survive South of Sunshine.

Glass of Iced tea, sweet tea to be exact. Don’t sweeten with some sugar substitute. This needs to be the real deal sugar. And if we’re being specific, it needs to be Lipton tea bags. Go ahead and fix a gallon because you gonna love it so much you’ll want more.

Pork Rinds – What the what are pork rinds, you ask? Do you know what the rind of an orange is? The thick outer covering, essentially the skin of an orange. Wellllll, that’s what pork rinds are, the skin of a pig with a little fat on it, fried. Hey hey hey, don’t knock it until you try it. If you eat bacon it’s the same difference. Lest I remind you what Dr. Seuss always said, “Try it. You may like it.” They’re like salty crunchy airy chips with a bacony flavor. Like a cheese puff, minus the cheese plus the bacon taste. It is a southern favorite, and if you want your southern game to be strong, I suggest you get some.

Instagram Account – In South of Sunshine there’s a “hearts in nature” theme. Kaycee believes, “Hearts abound in nature. Love notes from the universe, asking you to pay attention.” After you read the book you’re going to start seeing accidental hearts out in the wild. (I’ve hand several friends text me pictures.) You’ll want an Instagram account to post these little beauties on once you start finding them. This particular “heart in nature” I saw on an unexpected plane trip back home to Tennessee.

Nail Polish – Set of rainbow nail polish to be exact. I suggest OPI because two coats of that with a clear topcoat will last you 10-14 days before it chips off your toenails. If you’re like Kaycee and you hate letting people pick at your feet, I suggest you can do the pedicure yourself. Either way, you might want to be prepared to impress your first crush.

Southern Euphemism Reference Book – Southern people have some colorful colloquialisms that most people who aren’t from around our parts don’t have a clue what we’re talking about. I’d suggest Butter My Butt and Call Me a Biscuit by Allan Zullo and Gene Cheek. (In case you’re wondering, the title of the book is an expression of surprise.)

CB Radio – Three or four to be exact. So why a CB Radio? After you read about the game Cat and Mouse, you’re going to want to play with your friends too. I know you’re thinking (after you go Google what a CB radio is) why would I want one of those if I have a cell phone? The thing about CB’s is that you can chat with several of your friends at once. Besides, you don’t get cool CB handles on a phone.

CB Handle – Now don’t rush into picking a name. Simmer on it a bit (which means think about it a while before making a decision.) It needs to be something to go with your personality. A name right that when you tell your friends, they’re impressed with how clever you are. If you’re not sure what to call yourself, I might suggest watching old movies like Smokey and the Bandit or Convoy*. Either will inspire a handle and get your CB skills up to par too. (*FYI, Rubber Duck has already been taken.) Here’s a CB handle pocket guide to help you out.

Punching Bag – You’re going to want to punch something before this book is over. You should! Some of the bigotry and hateful things Kaycee has to endure will really upset you. The painful abuse the LGBT community has to go through is horrendous. And sometimes you just need to punch something to make you feel better. And since I promote love and not hate, I suggest a punching bag to release those frustrations.

Rainbow Attire – Now that you’ve got your frustration taken care off, lets arm you with rainbows. You’ve already got the rainbow nail polish, now all you need is a rainbow shades, maybe a rainbow tank top, fancy bracelet, flashy leather clutch and if you want to round your whole outfit out, I suggest rainbow Chucks.
1. Kleenex – By the end of the book I hope to have taken you on an emotional journey. I hope you feel Kaycee’s pain and struggles, because empathy is important. I hope you cry tears of heartache, relief, understanding but most of all I hope you end the book crying tears of happiness. Kaycee’s journey has a lot of roller coaster ups and downs, but by the end of the book you’ll be glad you took the ride with her.

What is Kaycee willing to risk for the sake of love?
And what will she risk for acceptance?In Sunshine, Tennessee, the main event in town is Friday night football, the biggest party of the year is held in a field filled with pickup trucks, and church attendance is mandatory. For Kaycee Jean McCoy, life in Sunshine means dating guys she has no interest in, saying only “yes, ma’am” when the local bigots gossip at her mom’s cosmetics salon, and avoiding certain girls at all costs. Girls like Bren Dawson.Unlike Kaycee, Bren doesn’t really conceal who she is. But as the cool, worldly new girl, nobody at school seems to give her any trouble. Maybe there’s no harm if Kaycee gets closer to her too, as long as she can keep that part of her life a secret, especially from her family and her best friend. But the more serious things get with Bren, the harder it is to hide from everyone else. Kaycee knows Sunshine has a darker side for people like her, and she’s risking everything for the chance to truly be herself.

Born and raised in small town in Tennessee, Dana now lives in southern California with her husband, two boys and her tiny dog. When she isn’t exercising, she can be found geeking out with Mother Nature or scouring the internet for foreign indie bands. After her family’s needs are met, you can find her dreaming up contemporary YA romances with plenty of kissing. Rep’d by Lauren MacLeod with The Strothman Agency.